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ESErgonomic Advice
What the heck is Tech Neck?
Have you ever heard of Tech Neck?
If you spend long hours on your laptop or on your phone and are experiencing pain in your neck, you probably have tech neck. In this article, we’ll be exploring the causes, symptoms and remedies to this modern ailment.
What is Tech Neck?
If you’ve ever experienced aches and pains in your neck after using your phone or your laptop, chances are you’ve experienced tech neck. Tech neck isn’t a formal medical diagnosis but rather more of a modern day term to express the pain or discomfort that comes with using various forms of technology (i.e. your phone, laptop or your game console). Despite it’s catchy name however Tech Neck doesn’t just concern the pain in your neck, although it's the most common. Tech Neck is an overall term that can cover various aches and pains in your body such as your lower back and shoulders. What defines Tech Neck is that it’s caused by the strain of using technology.
While many are quick to point the finger to technology, Tech Neck isn’t an issue of too much screen time. Rather it’s an issue of posture, position and screen height. To fully understand just how Tech Neck is developed we have to see first how and why it’s so widespread and how you can be more mindful when it comes to spending long hours in front of the screen.
Let’s first look into the neck, given that that’s where Tech Neck truly gets its reputation from. Your neck or cervical spine is the most flexible part of your spine, while
Bad Posture Leads to Back and Neck Pain
Do you suffer from back or neck pain? If so, you are not alone. University of Carolina researchers found that 80% of Americans will suffer from back pain in their lifetime with losses of over $100 billion a year stemming from decreased worker efficiency and healthcare costs. Back pain appears to be on the rise, especially with the advent of technology. Children grow up hunched over phones and tablets playing games only to grow up finding themselves hunched over their keyboard at work. According to the European Journal of Pain, there is a correlation between age and back pain, with a 13% increase in chances of death for those with chronic back pain in later life.
Posture Pump states that most back and neck pain is attributed to poor posture. Since the neck and spine are connected, a problem in one area can lead to problems in the other. When you are slumped over your computer you are putting a lot of pressure on the muscles in your neck and back leading to aches and pains. Spine Health confirms that this long exposure to poor posture puts unneeded stress on one’s joints, muscles, and spine leading to further pain.
The importance of good posture is clear for our health and well-being. What is the ideal posture then? The Cleveland Clinic states that one should sit
Using a Sit-Stand Desk to Alleviate Neck Pain
As we age, it is common to experience an increase in aches and pains, especially in our back and neck. Nearly 25% of men experience cervical (neck) pain with radiation to the arm by age 45. However, certain jobs, working conditions, or workplace habits can exacerbate these problems or even cause them to start happening earlier than they would otherwise. The good news is that with changes in lifestyle and workstation equipment, these symptoms can improve and even go away completely.
For example, a naval officer presented with severe cervical myelopathy. Cervical myelopathy is a condition caused by the compression of the spinal cord in the neck. It causes symptoms such as pain, numbness, weakness in the neck or arms, and problems with coordination, though not all patients experience the same symptoms and some may not even experience much pain. Cervical myelopathy is normally treated with a movement-restricting collar, physical therapy, pain medication, or, in the most severe cases, surgery.
After the naval officer was diagnosed with cervical myelopathy, he purchased a sit-stand desktop workstation from FlexiSpot. The default workstation setup is a traditional desk and office chair, at which the employee sits for 8+ hours a day. Sitting with poor posture can compress and contort the spine, leading to complications such as cervical myelopathy.
Switching to a sit-stand desk allows you to spend at least part of the day standing up, which is what our bodies were designed to do. The key is to stand with correct posture and to use an anti-fatigue mat, which alleviates some of the stress placed on your joints by providin
